A hydrodynamic coupling arrangement formed as a hydrodynamic torque converter is known from U.S. Pat. No. 8,161,739, wherein the torque is transmitted from a housing arrangement to a driven hub either via a lockup clutch and a torsional vibration damper arrangement or is transmitted to the driven hub via the hydrodynamic interaction between an impeller, which is rotatable with the housing arrangement, and a turbine. The turbine, together with a deflection mass carrier of a deflection mass unit, is fixed by riveting to an intermediate mass arrangement of the torsional vibration damping arrangement and is therefore torque-transmittingly connected to the driven shaft.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a hydrodynamic coupling arrangement by which a turbine can be torque-coupled to a driven hub in a structurally simple manner.
According to the invention, this object is met by a hydrodynamic coupling arrangement, particularly hydrodynamic torque converter, comprising a housing arrangement which is filled or fillable with fluid, an impeller which is rotatable with the housing arrangement around an axis of rotation, a turbine arranged in the housing arrangement, a torsional vibration damper arrangement with an input area which can be coupled to the housing arrangement by means of a lockup clutch and with an output area which is connected to a driven hub so as to rotate together therewith around the axis of rotation, and the driven hub comprises an inner circumferential toothing for coupling to an outer circumferential toothing of a driven member, preferably transmission input shaft, such that it is fixed with respect to rotation relative to it, wherein the turbine has a turbine hub with an inner circumferential toothing for coupling in a fixed manner with respect to relative rotation to an outer circumferential toothing at the driven hub and/or the outer circumferential toothing of the driven member.
In the construction according to the invention, the torque coupling of the turbine is carried out by toothing, namely the inner circumferential toothing which is provided at the turbine hub and which can be brought into rotational coupling engagement with an outer circumferential toothing either at the driven hub and/or at a driven member, e.g., a transmission input shaft. This rotational coupling engagement can be achieved without any further fastening processes, e.g., riveting or the like, in that the two structural component parts to be coupled are moved toward one another axially.
To form the driven hub in a simple manner for receiving torque from the torsional vibration damper arrangement as well as for receiving torque from the turbine, it is provided that the driven hub comprises a connection area for connecting to the output area and an outer circumferential toothing area axially adjacent to the connection area.
For a defined axial positioning of the turbine, it can be ensured in a simple manner that the driven hub has an axial supporting area for axially supporting the turbine hub.
Particularly when both the torsional vibration damper arrangement and the turbine are coupled to the driven hub for transmission of torque, the axial support can be carried out in a structurally simple manner in that the axial supporting area is provided in a transitional area between the connection area and the outer circumferential toothing area.
To provide a further damping aspect in addition to the vibration damping characteristic already provided by the torsional vibration damper arrangement, it is provided that a deflection mass unit comprises a deflection mass carrier and a deflection mass arrangement which is supported by means of a deflection mass coupling arrangement at the deflection mass carrier such that it can be deflected from a basic relative position with respect to the latter, and the deflection mass unit is radially and/or axially supported on the driven hub or turbine hub. Deflection mass units of this type may be constructed, for example, as fixed frequency mass dampers or speed-adaptive mass dampers and therefore are not generally located in the torque path but rather are coupled to torque-transmitting component assemblies and accordingly receive torsional vibrations and suppress them by generating a countervibration of the deflection mass arrangement. A defined centering or positioning of the deflection mass unit is ensured at the same time in that, further, the deflection mass unit is radially and/or axially supported on the driven hub and/or on the turbine hub.
In particular, it can be provided that the deflection mass arrangement is supported radially and/or axially on the driven hub or turbine hub. In other words, due to its support interaction, the deflection mass arrangement which is itself coupled only to the deflection mass carrier for carrying out vibrational movements ensures a defined positioning but at the same time is held at the supporting component assembly so as to be basically rotatable.
The deflection mass carrier can be supported at the torsional vibration damper arrangement, i.e., it can be fastened, for example, or formed integral with a component thereof, i.e., the deflection mass carrier can also be provided by the torsional vibration damper arrangement.
In an embodiment which is particularly advantageous with respect to vibration damping characteristics, it is provided that the torsional vibration damper arrangement comprises a first torsional vibration damper with a first primary side providing the input area and a first secondary side which is rotatable with respect to the first primary side around the axis of rotation against the action of a first damper element unit and a second torsional vibration damper with a second primary side and a second secondary side which is rotatable with respect to the second primary side around the axis of rotation against the action of a second damper element unit and which provides the output area, wherein the first secondary side and the second primary side provide an intermediate mass arrangement.
Further, when the deflection mass carrier is supported at the intermediate mass arrangement, the deflection mass unit contributes to an increase in the mass and, therefore, the mass moment of inertia, of the intermediate mass arrangement. This is particularly advantageous in the construction according to the invention because the turbine is mass-coupled to the output area of the torsional vibration damper arrangement, i.e., does not itself contribute to increasing the mass of the intermediate mass arrangement.
To produce the connection between the output area and the driven hub, it is provided that the driven hub comprises in a connection area a connection portion which projects radially outwardly and which is connected to the output area of the torsional vibration damper arrangement. In particular, it can further be provided that the output area is connected to the connection portion by at least one connection member, preferably a rivet bolt.
However, it should be noted that the output area, for example, a central disk element of the torsional vibration damper arrangement, can be formed integral with the driven hub in an alternative construction.
The turbine hub can be connected to the turbine by at least one connection member, preferably rivet bolt. This allows the turbine hub to be designed with high stability, particularly with respect to the inner circumferential toothing thereof.
In a very simple and economical alternative construction, it is provided
that the turbine hub forms an integral component part of the turbine, preferably of a turbine shell.